[Tango-L] on open-embrace teaching (was something on inventing steps)

[Tom Stermitz]

On Apr 5, 2008, at 1:30 PM, Tango For Her wrote:
> Again, across the great USA, the teachers with the
> most successful classes are going out and finding 6 or
> 8 step patterns that are tricky or elegant and
> bringing them back home.  Why?  Because that is how
> you keep men in your classes.  The men don't, as a
> norm, see that they are learning finnesse.  They see
> that they are learning a pattern that they can show
> off.

In my experience, this is false. I see the opposite, i.e. men don't  
stay for tricky figures, rather they stay when the material is  
presented in a way that makes them feel successful.

Teaching complicated figures causes men to quit out of frustration.  
Women have more patience, are more willing to take privates, and  
improve by dancing with the teacher. Tango is difficult for the guys,  
especially at the beginning.